Lost in an Ocean of Stars
by Auroraas
Summary: All of this has happened before, and all of this will happen again. Very AU.
1. Prologue

Bleached eyes like the Caprican sky at high noon flickered between their owner's wristwatch, and the crowded streets before him. The man's polished black loafers tapped impatiently against the cold pavement, his hand ran through his dark hair, and his mouth slowly pressed into a thin line.

_They're late. _

The thought reverberated through the man's head, again and again. He knew he should be more lenient with them. He should be, he should not take anything out on them, they had done nothing wrong...

_The mass is malignant. _

Grimacing, the man shoved his hands into his pockets, eyes slowly closing. Taking a deep breath, he forced his eyes open. He was the Secretary of the Department of Justice, and he had to act like it, personal ailments plaguing him or not.

"Mister Secretary?" a voice called from behind, snapping him from his thoughts.

He turned, somewhat slowly, to face the source of the voice. Two people stood before him: a young man and a young woman.

The woman stepped forward, a large smile on her face. Her auburn hair reached her mid back, the long curls blowing about haphazardly in the wind. Her light green eyes met his, alight with excitement, as she extended her hand toward his.

"Hello, Mister Secretary. I'm sorry that we're so late." she said as he took her hand, shaking it once, lightly, before he released his grip.

"That's alright." he forced, lips pulled into a tight line that he hoped resembled a smile.

_The mass is malignant._

He paused for a moment, opening his mouth as if to say something, but promptly shutting it. He parted his lips again, asking his question with another, hopefully more genuine, smile playing on his lips.

"You two are my aides?"

The pair nodded, before the boy, brunette, with curly hair and light eyes, spoke up.

"I'm Billy Keikeya, sir. And this is Laura Roslin." he said, gesturing to the redheaded girl.

"Billy, Laura, it's wonderful to meet you both." he stated, making short eye contact with each of them.

"I, um. I have my bags here, Mister Adama. And so does Billy," Laura began, "should we put yours with ours, or do you want them in the carry-on section?"

"With yours is fine," he shrugged, a short smile appearing on his face. He watched as Billy bent down to grab the suitcase's handle, before speaking again, "Actually, hold up on that."

Billy looked up, a flash of confusion in his eyes. He nodded, then, apparently dismissing his new boss' strange request. The Secretary strode over to the bag, unzipped the small pocket located in the front of the suitcase, and swiftly retrieved what he was looking for.

Smiling at his new aides, he re-zipped the pocket, and stepped away from the bag. Billy took this as his cue to resume his actions, grabbing the suitcase and turning in the direction of the spaceport. Laura followed him, leaving Secretary Lee Adama to his own thoughts.

As he followed them, he fingered the small object in his hand. The pill bottle's hard plastic warmed slightly in his palm as he gripped it with a strange intensity.

_The mass is malignant. _


	2. Prologue, Part II

The Commander of the Battlestar Galactica sat alone in her quarters, a bottle of some foul-tasting swill from Tauron clutched in her hand. The bottle's label was all but rubbed off, but one could still make out two faded words on the label.

_Bitter Commander._

Letting out an amused snort, the woman took a large gulp of the liquid, swishing it in her mouth for a moment before swallowing, relishing the burn in her throat. She slowly set the bottle down on the ancient wooden desk before her, before bringing her elbows up to rest on the hard surface, her eyes closing. Bringing her forehead forward to meet the palms of her hands, she sighed.

After a few minutes of sitting in this position, a knock on the door roused her.

"Come." she barked, dragging her hands from her face to rest under her chin, eyes settling on the door to her quarters.

The hatch spun, and the door opened with a loud metallic creaking. The harsh, fluorescent lights that lit Galactica's halls flooded into the dark room, causing the Commander to grunt in annoyance, raising a hand to shield her eyes.

"Gods, what the frak is this? You decided to turn this place into a tomb?" a distinctively familiar voice sounded from the doorway.

"Saul," she acknowledged, taking another swig from the bottle in front of her as he closed the door, "you here to comment on my choice of lighting, or you have something for me?"

Snorting, Colonel Saul Tigh turned toward his commanding officer. "Nah. Just wanted to see you before the ceremony."

The Commander smiled slightly, finishing off the bottle in one last gulp.

"Well, here I am." she shrugged, tossing the bottle in the can to her right.

Saul followed the bottle's movements, furrowing his brow. "Commander Jack's, eh? Pretty potent stuff, especially this early." he warned, plopping himself into the chair facing her desk. He propped his feet up on the wooden desk, casually bringing his eyes up to meet his commander's.

"You're one to talk, Saul." she chuckled.

Laughing along with her, Saul shook his head.

"I know, I know, I need to stop. I just..." he trailed off, shrugging. His fingers found his pocket, tracing a thin sheet of paper that held a permanent residence there. His commander's eyes followed the movement, her face softening.

"I understand. I... I'm guilty of it as well." she admitted with a small smile.

"Aw frak, this sappy shit is making me sick. I actually did have to tell you something- Secretary of Justice wants to... "talk" to you."

"Secretary Adama?" the Commander asked, sitting up straight.

"Adama." Tigh repeated, "oh gods. Bill's old man?"

"Yeah." Commander Kara Thrace repeated, her voice a soft whisper.


	3. Chapter One

The _Galactica_ was a solitary whale in a sea of stars, and _Colonial Heavy 798 _was simply a remora, attached momentarily before drifting away, lost in the vast waters of space, Laura mused as Billy shook her awake. Blinking the last traces of sleep from her eyes, she stole one last glance at the Battlestar as she sat up, turning toward her fellow aide.

"Good afternoon, your excellency." Billy teased, motioning for her to rise from her seat.

Rolling her eyes, Laura pushed herself up, yawning once before smiling at her friend.

"I intended to take an hour-long nap... you know what they say about the best-laid plans," she shrugged, "so, are we docking?"

"Yeah," he confirmed, gesturing for her to follow him.

"Anything I need to know before we go?" Laura asked, straightening her blazer before walking after him.

Her fellow aide turned his head slightly toward her. "The ceremony doesn't start for another few hours, but we're going to go with Mr. Adama to meet with the Commander beforehand."

Laura made a face, continuing to walk alongside her friend. She had heard many things about Commander Thrace, not many of them were encouraging. "Alright. But can we freshen up a bit, first?" she asked, glancing down her body at her sleep-crumpled clothing.

"We have to leave in about forty-five minutes, so yeah." he quipped, an amused smile playing on his lips.

Smirking, Laura raised a hand in a playful farewell, giving Billy a slight wave before turning in the opposite direction, retracing her steps to her carry-on bag. She began to move towards whence she came, her footsteps light and quick, albeit unsteady due to her recent awakening. As she approached her seat, her eyes shifted upward, toward the carry-on compartments. Laura began to tug her heavy suitcase out of its resting place, spinning around quickly once she had fully removed it from the compartment. The bag proved too heavy to hold with only one hand, however, and as soon as she had turned away from the section, it fell, landing with a heavy thud on the carpeted floor of the hallway.

"Do you need some help with that?" a distinctly lower-Caprican accent sounded.

Turning slightly toward the owner of the voice, Laura paused. The man who had spoken was looking at her expectantly, green-blue eyes narrowing. She opened her mouth to speak, but something struck her funny about this man. Closing her mouth, she nodded simply, forcing a slight smile onto her face, and pushed herself into a standing position.

The man had immaculately groomed light brown hair, and wore an atrocious blue suit with a checkered green shirt and teal tie beneath it. His black shoes were a bit too polished, his movements a little too stiff, but it was none of these things that bothered her. A pin reading "public relations" adorned the breast pocket of his suit jacket, glinting with his every movement. Laura knew from her own, somewhat limited, experience, that ships such as the _Galactica_ did not give out pins or passes before boarding the ship.

She was snapped out of her musings with the sound of her suitcase hitting the seat.

"You have many belongings." the man stated, a measure of distaste coloring his features.

"I... thank you for your help, Mr..." she trailed off, expectantly.

"Aaron Doral." his utterance was both a response and a greeting.

"Thank you, then, Mr. Doral." she said, inclining her head in a gesture of gratitude, crossing her arms across her chest. His eyes met hers for a few moments longer, narrowing slightly before he nodded in return, turning and walking down the corridor. Laura watched him go for several beats, brow furrowed, before turning her attention back to her bag. A strange one, to be sure.

.

.

.

Letting her eyes adjust to the harsh lighting of _Galactica'_s hallways, Kara stepped out of her quarters as the marines that stood guard outside the door shut the hatch behind her. She began her daily ascent of the small staircase that stood near the front of her quarters, taking in the scene before her with unease. Chaos was not the correct word to describe it, not yet, but it was escalating towards it. The omnipresent reverberations of military-issue boots hitting _Galactica_'s metal flooring was gone, replaced with the disoreinting cacaphony of hundreds of civilian voices calling out at once, their high-heels and suitcases adding to the noise.

Cringing, Kara decided to attempt to ignore it, turning in the general direction of the CIC. She had always hated disorder, chaos, a remnant of her childhood, she supposed. Socrata Thrace had not been a stable woman in any sense of the word, and in joining the military, she had found stability and reliability like she had never known. She had found comfort in the routine of things, and when that routine was disrupted...

Kara was snapped out of her reverie when a short, weasel of a man stopped in front of her.

"Hello, Commander Thrace. Aaron Doral, public relations." he said, extending his hand in greeting while plastering on a disgustingly fake smile. She took it, hesitantly, pumping their hands once in a firm handshake, before resuming her walk. Doral followed her, quickening his pace to keep up. Rolling her eyes, Kara turned her head slightly, realizing that he was speaking.

"-already aboard, he requested to see you before the ceremony."

This stopped Kara in her tracks. She turned to face Doral, shock written plainly on her face.

"Tell the Secretary..." she trailed off. _Tell him I don't want to see him? Tell him I hate him? Tell him I miss him? _"that I will see him in fifteen minutes."

Doral nodded, smiling a farewell before turning away from her, leaving Kara to her thoughts. She shifted her gaze to a nearby bulkhead, staring pensively in its general direction for a few moments, before turning back toward the CIC. She would have time to think later.


	4. Chapter Two

**A/N:** _Sorry that I've been MIA for so long, guys. There really is no excuse, but I'm gonna make one anyway. Life has been... hectic, to say the least, what with school and personal stuff. Hope you continue to enjoy, and your support is always welcome. I promise that there won't be such a long wait between chapters this time, and I apologize that it's already taken me four frakkin' chapters to get through 1/100000 of the Miniseries. I'll speed things up soon, I swear. ;)_

Lee had not been on a _Galactica_-class warship in years, and he had been surprised at the feelings of nostalgia that entering one drew from him. His eyes had traced the ship's harsh angles and lines as one might look on an old friend, and a smile had flickered across his face. Laura and Billy had been in awe, he could tell, and he had been forced to remind himself that they were much too young to have been born anywhere near the time of the War. They would have only seen photographs of such Battlestars, probably in history courses in school. The thought had made him him shift, slightly, with discomfort.

After locating Aaron Doral on C-Deck, he had passed along a message to Kara. He wanted to meet with her, he had told the man, to discuss their plans for both the ceremony and the educational future of Galactica. After all, he _was_ here in the place of the Secretary of Education.

Words were words. She would know what he was really saying.

Doral had returned swiftly, almost frighteningly so, and had informed him that Commander Thrace would meet with him at quarter till. Laura and Billy had begun to shift anxiously at that, and so he had told them to take a short tour, see the sights, with a slight smile on his face. Grateful, they had both wandered of a bit aimlessly, and left him alone with his thoughts.

Now, fifteen minutes later, they were late. Again. Letting out a soft sigh, he wondered idly if this was going to become a habit of theirs. They had obviously never been in the military. His musings were interrupted by the now-familiar voice of Aaron Doral.

"The Commander should be ready to meet with you now, Mister Adama."

Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself, and nodded to the younger man.

"Let's go."

.

.

.

The steady thump of his footsteps against _Galactica's_ decking echoed in his ears, drowning out all other noise. His breath came in short bursts, lungs burning, as he pushed himself faster. He turned a corner, sharply, ignoring his protesting muscles, and skidded to a halt, abruptly. In front of him, a throng of gaping civilians were gathered in front of one of _Galactica's_many carbon dioxide scrubbers, taking pictures, talking loudly among themselves, and generally blocking the hallway. Raising his arms over his head and interlacing his fingers, Bill Adama took a few cooling breaths, and began to make his way through the crowd.

"Make a hole!" he called, a half-amused smile making its way across his features at the civvies' reactions. Several looked toward him with incredulity, and other simply stood there, unsure of where to move to. Eventually, they moved an adequate distance from each other, allowing him to pass without incident.

"Having some trouble, too?" an amused voice sounded to his right. Bill turned his head slightly in its general direction, smiling as he recognized the voice's owner. Karl Agathon was currently leaning against a bulkhead, content in watching the mass of civilians move back into their previous, obstructing, positions.

"Just a little." he answered, greeting his co-pilot with a friendly clap on the back. "How was your flight? Sharon manage not to bang up the _entire_ deck this time?"

Helo let out a short bark of laughter. "Not anymore, with her loyal ECO on board." he winked.

Bill chuckled, nudging his friend with his elbow. "You know _that's_ not true. Sharon would probably make the trap more often _without_ you frakking up her concentration."

Helo's grin faltered, and he shrugged. "_Right_. As if anyone other than the Chief could catch her attention nowadays."

"Cheer up, Helo," a voice giggled, "there are other fish in the sea."

"I'm doing fine in that department, Maggie. Thanks, though." Helo teased, as he placed his arm around the approaching raptor pilot's shoulder. Racetrack shrugged it off, feigning incredulity.

"I wasn't talking about _me_, brainless. Civvies are more your type." the brunette quipped. "Like that one, for example," she gestured at a passing redhead. "You'd be on her in a second."

Bill's eyes followed the red haired girl down the hall with interest. She was moving slowly, deliberately, while looking around nervously. Almost as if she were...

"Lost." Bill thought out loud.

Helo turned his head slightly toward his friend. "You say something?"

"The redhead. She's lost." he answered, eyes firmly trained on her movements. "Yup. Must've gotten separated from her tour group."

Racetrack and Helo glanced at each other, and then back at him.

"I'll be right back." Bill stated plainly, and began to move over to the girl, without sparing a glance at his companions. He caught up to her with ease, so slow was she walking, and placed a hand lightly on her shoulder.

She stiffened, letting out a small squeak, before turning sharply to face him. Her pale green eyes, narrowed in annoyance, met his.

"Excuse me, I didn't mean to startle you," he began, flashing a toothy smile. "But do you need help? Getting to wherever you're going?"

The two held each others' gaze for a beat, both assessing the other, connected by some string of fate that neither could sense. "Yes. Actually." she started, "I'm supposed to be near the... Combat Information Center. To meet the Commander."

"The Commander?" Bill echoed, a wrinkle appearing between his brows momentarily. His eyes flickered down to the suit she wore, and then to the visitor's pass that was neatly clipped onto the lapel of her blazer. His eyes widened with realization.

"Are you the Secretary's aide?"

She nodded in reply as the corners of her lips tugged upward.

The string was plucked, and resonated.

.

.

.

"Commander?"

"Yes, Mr. Gaeta?" Kara replied, turning her head slightly toward the voice of Felix Gaeta, eyebrows raised expectantly.

The Lieutenant shifted nervously under her gaze, but smiled at her nonetheless. "Fifteen minutes are up, sir. Secretary Adama will want to see you soon."

Kara nodded her thanks, and set down the reports she had been looking over. After straightening her uniform slightly and smoothing down her hair, she turned to her Senior Officer of the Watch.

"Mr. Gaeta, you have the bridge. Contact me in my quarters if there's anything that needs my immediate attention before the ceremony."

"Yes, sir." he replied, rising from his seat and snapping off a smart salute. She returned the gesture with a smile, before turning and making her way out of the CIC. As she slowly moved up the staircase that lead to the hallway, she let out a shaky breath. Lee was waiting. Lee was waiting. Lee was waiting.

As soon as she had stepped into the hall, a wave of nausea hit her. She was beginning to regret that bottle of Commander Jack's. Usually, she could hold her liquor well, due to the fact that she had built up a high tolerance to the stuff- a fact that she was loathe to admit. But when she was nervous, or afraid, _this_ happened. Kara took two deep, calming breaths, and closed her eyes. She would not frak this up. Lee was here, he was waiting. She would not frak this up _again_.

When she opened her eyes, his light blue eyes were boring into hers.

She exhaled noisily, and her eyelashes fluttered. Sucking in another breath, she attempted to compose herself. She could do this- this was Lee, for the Gods' sakes, not a Cylon baseship.

"Commander Thrace." he greeted, extending his hand to her. His face betrayed no sign of worry, or anger. No doubt this was his political mask. She schooled her features before taking his hand and shaking it firmly.

"Secretary Adama." she replied, a sardonic smile making its way across her features.


	5. Chapter Three

**A/N:** _Sweet lords, I'm really sorry, guys. School has been getting more and more stressful and hectic, and as the swim season is starting and AP testing is just around the corner... updates are going to be kinda scarce. I'll try my best, of course, but updates won't get weekly (bi-weekly, more realistically) until mid-May to early June. Again, I'm really sorry. =/_

_"Are you the Secretary's aide?"_

_She nodded in reply as the corners of her lips tugged upward._

Laura watched the young pilot with growing curiosity as a menagerie of emotions danced across his face, seemingly at once. First shock, then anger, then guilt, followed by a prompt schooling of his emotions into a hardened mask.

"I see," his statement was accompanied by a curt nod. "follow me, then, Miss..."

"Laura Roslin." she supplied, a small smile flitting across her features as she began to move after him.

They walked in tense silence for a time, the chaotic hallways a sharp contrast. Laura followed the nameless pilot as he moved from corridor to corridor with almost mechanical ease, dodging tourists and officers left and right without sparing a sideways glance. Something about her being an aide to the Secretary had him upset, though she couldn't imagine what. Maybe this flyboy wasn't a fan of the Adar administration, or maybe he just didn't like politics. Her train of thought was interrupted, however, as the pilot stopped suddenly in front of a senior officer who had called out his rank, and snapped off a smart salute.

"At ease, Adama." the balding man slurred, "I just wanted to let ya know- Old Lady wanted to see you. Something about a press conference with your old man."

Resisting the urge to slap her forehead, Laura let out an almost inaudible sound of exasperation. The fact that the Secretary had a son had, for some reason, slipped her mind. Tucking this piece of information away for later use, she focused her attention back on the conversation between the younger Adama and the senior officer- who, from the stench of alcohol that was rolling off his person in waves and what she had heard about the senior staff aboard the _Galactica_, she guessed was Colonel Tigh.

"Yes, sir." Adama ground out, popping a rushed salute before walking past the Colonel.

Laura resumed walking after him, staying a few paces behind him until his hunched shoulders relaxed a bit. At this, she strode up beside him and glanced at him momentarily, hoping to gauge his mood. His features were stiff, hardened, and a wrinkle had formed between his brows, but he no longer seemed exceedingly furious.

"So," she began, conversationally, "we haven't been properly introduced."

Adama let out a heavy sigh, and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"We haven't. Sorry, I'm just... my father and I aren't exactly on the best terms." he opened his eyes, and turned toward her, before extending his hand in greeting.

"Bill Adama." she took his hand, and shook it firmly, a smile playing at the corners of her lips.

"Laura Roslin."

He gave her a small smile that reached his eyes, and continued down the hall.

"So, you're the Secretary's son?" Laura inquired, the answer obvious but all at once a mystery.

Bill's face contorted in an expression of pain, and he paused for a moment before nodding.

"Yes, I am." he confirmed, his dark blue eyes flickering to hers for a moment. She held his gaze, and smiled encouragingly. It was her hope that if he felt comfortable enough, he would enlighten her as to the nature of his relationship with his father. He didn't get the hint, apparently, and re-focused his attention on the hallways.

"You seem to be bothered by that fact." she commented, watching as he glanced at her again.

Bill shrugged, opening his mouth as if to give an answer, before apparently thinking better of whatever it was he was going to say.

"It's a long story." he said, finally. Laura frowned.

"We have time." she offered, and smiled inwardly when a look of defeat crossed his face.

"My dad joined the service young, during the War, and regretted it. I wanted to join when I turned eighteen, but my dad wouldn't let me... and I joined anyway." Bill explained, his eyes narrowing as he heaved a sigh.

"I see." Laura replied, eyes downcast.

They continued to walk in silence, until Bill suddenly stopped short.

"Dad?" he choked out.

_._

_._

_._

_"Commander Thrace." he greeted, extending his hand to her. His face betrayed no sign of worry, or anger. No doubt this was his political mask. She schooled her features before taking his hand and shaking it firmly. _

_"Secretary Adama." she replied, a sardonic smile stretching tightly across her face. _

Aaron Doral looked back and forth between the two, brow furrowed for a moment, before realization dawned on his features.

"You've already met, then." Doral asserted. Kara managed to tear her eyes away from Lee's, and focused her attention on the small man.

"We have. We served together during the War." the Commander stated plainly, turning back to the Secretary. Her eyes narrowed, an unspoken challenge burning in them.

_I won't tell if you don't. _

Lee nodded, his lips pressing into a thin line, before his eyes shifted to Doral. The smaller man seemed enlightened, eyes flickering between the two of them as a knowing smile grew on his face. Suppressing the urge to laugh, the Secretary looked back to Kara, amused to see what he assumed was his expression mirrored on her face.

"Indeed we did." Lee confirmed, his political mask back in place. "Now, onto more important matters. I am here, officially, in the Secretary of Education's place, but I also am here for reasons relating to both our departments."

Lee began to move forward, gesturing for both the Commander and Doral to follow.

"The President, along with the Secretary of Education, believe that it would be best if _Galactica's _computers were networked. This would make it easier for the teachers to teach." the Secretary's eyes flickered to Kara every few seconds to gauge her reaction. She was eerily silent, eyes focused on some unknown point in the distance. Doral, however, was listening eagerly, nodding along enthusiastically at the proposition.

"I think it would also be beneficial to open up a law exhibit. Show the people what the justice system was like on this ship during the War, without access to a true court."

Doral continued to nod his approval. "I agree completely. Networking the _Galactica_ would be extremely beneficial, I think."

Lee kept his eyes trained on Kara, following her movements. She was walking stiffly, fists periodically clenching and unclenching. Doral seemed oblivious, but he had known her long enough to recognize her nervous ticks.

"What do you think, Commander? Would you be willing to have this ship networked?"

Kara dug her nails into her palms, biting her lip momentarily before turning her head slightly towards the Secretary.

"No."

Lee's face remained impassive.

"Commander, I urge you not to make such a hasty decis-"

"_No_," she repeated, fixing him with a glare. "It's an integrated computer network, and I will not have it aboard my ship."

Doral scoffed. "I heard you're one of those people. You're actually afraid of computers."

"No, there are many computers on this ship. But they're not networked, and for good reason. Many good men and women lost their lives aboard this ship because someone wanted a faster computer to make life easier." Kara turned to the Secretary, "I'm sorry if I'm inconveniencing the Secretary of Education, or the teachers, but I will not allow a networked computerized system to be placed on this ship while I'm in command. Is that clear?"

Lee gave her a tight smile. "Yes, sir."

"Then if that's all, 'scuse-"

Lee called her up short. "Actually, Commander, would you escort me to the visitor's quarters? I'm afraid I would get lost in these crowds without someone joining me."

The Commander gave a forced smile of her own, and nodded with obvious discomfort. She opened her mouth to say something, but stopped short when a familiar voice rang out.

"Dad?"

Lee turned toward her best Lieutenant, his mouth slightly open. Father and son stared at each other for what seemed a long while, before the Secretary finally spoke.

"Bill." he managed, his voice breaking a little. "It's... good to see you."

Bill smiled slightly, before glancing at the redhead at his side. She smiled slightly at him, giving him a look of satisfaction, before she turned to Lee.

"Mr. Adama, I'm sorry I'm late. I got a little lost, but your son helped me find my way."

Lee seemed a little stunned, but quickly recovered.

"That's fine. That's fine." he said, nodding. "Just, um... the Commander is going to show me to our guest quarters. Find Billy, and I'll see you at the ceremony."

The girl nodded, and, satisfied, Lee glanced at Kara.

"Ready?" she asked, not waiting to see if he was before she began to walk in the direction of his quarters.

Lee's head moved in an almost imperceptible nod as he moved to catch up with her, while Kara walked ever faster, attempting to think of a way to fill the silence. Telling him right off the bat didn't seem like a very tactful thing to do, but then again, tact had never been a strongsuit of hers.

"You haven't changed." his voice was quieter, more subdued than she remembered. But other than that, he hadn't changed much, either. Physically, at least. Same build, still fit. Different hair, though.

"You haven't, either." Kara replied, letting her eyes wander up and down his body, taking in his appearance. Thirty years ago, he wouldn't have been caught dead in clothing like that. He _had_ changed, then- just not physically.

Lee scoffed at her compliment. "I have, and you know it. You really haven't aged a day, though. You look the same as I remember you."

Kara wasn't a vain woman by any means, but she felt her cheeks flush nonetheless.

"Thank you, Secretary Adama." she smirked, and continued to walk in silence.

.

.

.

The not-so-familiar sound of a hatch opening brought back a flood of memories, ones that were quelled immediately by the sound of Kara's voice.

"-me know if there's anything you need. I'll see you at the ceremony."

Lee shook his head as she headed for the door.

"Kara, wait." he called, an edge of desperation creeping into his voice. She turned, a strange mix of expressions playing across her face.

"You don't want to talk about... you know. It's been years." he managed, somewhat lamely.

Kara let out a sigh, and began to move toward him.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? At the time... I was just confused and scared and... I don't know what I was thinking."

Lee's eyes narrowed. "You pulled a frakkin' 180 on me, Kara. One minute you're talking about getting married, the next, you're gone."

"Just think about it, Lee," she started, locking eyes with him. "It's what you're best at. It was right after Zak's funeral, I wasn't... _I_ wasn't thinking, and you were there. I said sorry like a good girl, so let's just... move on."

"What about Kacey?" Lee hissed, his eyes narrowing in a challenge. Kara's eyes widened, and she shook her head almost disbelievingly.

"How the hell..." she whispered, her body automatically tensing into a defensive position.

"I was given a dossier on you before I boarded." Lee replied, simply. Kara let out a loud exhale, and raised her eyes to his again.

"So, what about her?"

He shot the Commander an incredulous look. "Damn it, Kara, I'm not stupid. I did the math. She's twenty-five, and this year will the twenty-sixth anniversary of Zak's death. "

"My Gods, men can be so painfully shortsighted." she muttered under her breath.

"Is she mine?" Lee demanded, his voice breaking at the last syllable.

"Yes." Kara whispered, closing her eyes.

The Secretary took a deep breath, steadying himself against a nearby piece of furniture.

"I want to see her. I want to see my daughter before I-"

_Attention, pass the word to the Commander, the CAG, and our visitor, Captain Thrace. Commander Thrace, Captain Adama, and Captain Thrace, please report to the conference room. _

"Thank you, Gaeta." Lee heard the Commander mumble, before she turned and walked quickly out the door.


	6. Chapter Four

**A/N: **I'm not gonna waste your time with excuses, but I apologize profusely for the delay. Life happened, unfortunately. Curse you, real world.

_This is it._

Lee let out a shuddering sigh, inhaled shakily, and stepped into the conference room. The press was already gathered, and the members were chatting excitedly amongst themselves. Bill was standing next to Billy and Laura off to the side of where the group of journalists was gathered, and Kara was, unexpectedly, indulging the media by posing for a photograph with...

_Gods._

It was her, he could tell. Kacey. _His daughter_. Frozen in place, Lee simply stared at the young woman, taking in every last detail he could. She had Kara's blonde hair, sharp jawline and full lips, but had his blue eyes and nose as well as his smile. She was not traditionally pretty, not in a classical sense, but she was very striking, with a mass of blonde curls that sat in a loose bun atop her head, and a piercing gaze that he supposed intimidated most people.

"Secretary Adama!" Lee was snapped out of his reverie as Aaron Doral began to walk over to him, a large, fake smile spreading over his face. Lee gave the small man a short, tight smile, and took his extended hand to shake.

"Mr. Doral." he nodded, and released the other man's hand.

"Would you mind answering a few questions for the press, and perhaps posing for a few photographs?" the small man asked, the smile on his face growing larger. Lee smiled back, again, tighter than before.

"Of course not." he said through his teeth. Almost at once, a woman with dark hair wearing a black pantsuit walked up to him and thrusted a small recording device in his face.

"Secretary Adama, a pleasure to meet you. Would you tell our viewers your thoughts on the Galactica being decommissioned, from a former soldier's standpoint? I understand that you served on this ship during the War."

"A pleasure to meet you too," he began, "I did indeed serve aboard this ship during the War. It's... bittersweet to see her being decommissioned, but the Old Girl has served the Colonies faithfully, and I believe it's time."

This answer seemed to satisfy her, and with a smile, she thanked him and stepped aside. A shorter man with heavy-rimmed glasses took her place, asking if he would mind posing for a few photographs. Lee agreed with a smile that was more of a grimace, and followed the man to the front of the room. Bill was soon ushered to his side, and Aaron Doral gestured for the two of them to stand closer together. Lee looked over to his son, and Bill looked back at him uncomfortably. A few beats passed before Doral quite predictably piped up.

"Secretary Adama, could you put your arm around your son?" the journalists apparently agreed with this request, nodding enthusiastically as the PR man suggested it. Lee complied, shifting closer to Bill before tentatively placing his right arm around his shoulders. Lee attempted to smile, as did Bill. They stayed like that for a few minutes, until Doral gave them the all-clear. His heart twisted at the speed with which Bill moved away from him.

"Great. Perfect," Doral started, an agonizingly large smile plastered on his picture-perfect face. "Okay, thank you very much. See you at the ceremony." the small man turned to the rest of the press, and gestured to them to follow. "We'll just be leaving this, through this doorway, and, and to our right..."

The journalists filed out quickly, leaving Bill, Billy, Laura, Kara, and... Kacey in the room with him. Lee exchanged a glance with Kara, a pleading glance that he thought probably looked quite pathetic from her point of view. At this point, he didn't care. He had cancer. A malignant tumor in his brain, and his daughter, his daughter, was in the same room with him. He needed to meet her. Kara nodded at him, and turned to Kacey, gesturing for her to come closer. She placed a hand on her daughter's arm, and began to speak to her in a hushed tone.

"Secretary Adama?" Laura's soft voice sounded behind him, and Lee suppressed a wave of annoyance. Laura was a very sweet girl, but as he was now learning, she could have horrible timing. He turned to face her, regardless, a genuine smile on his face. He gave her an encouraging nod, and she continued.

"Billy and I are going to go prepare for the ceremony. See you and Bill there." It did not escape his notice that she had mentioned his son's name as well. He raised an eyebrow and smiled knowingly at her. She shot him a glare.

"Actually, he'll be participating in the flyby during the ceremony. But I'm sure he'd be willing to see you afterwards." he smiled at her, and shifted his gaze back to Kacey and Kara as Laura and Billy left the room. Kacey turned his head towards him, smiled at him slightly, and left the room. His eyes widened, and he looked at Kara sharply. She rolled her eyes, and sped over to him. An obvious question was on his lips, but Kara silenced him with a look and answered it before he could voice it.

"I asked Kace to talk to you after the ceremony. She has to get ready, but she said she would. I didn't tell her, by the way. I thought you should."

Lee smiled slightly.

"Thank you, Kara. Really." Kara smiled back, a little sadly.

"I'll see you at the ceremony." she patted him once on the arm, and even the slight contact sent shivers through his body. She looked away, and he knew she could feel it as well. The Commander turned, and moved with purpose out of the room. He watched her go for a moment before turning away and bracing himself against a nearby table.

"Dad?" Bill. Gods, he had no idea that he was still here. "What was that about?"

Sucking in a deep breath, he turned to face his son. Bill looked concerned, a fact that warmed his heart.

"Nothing. Nothing." Lee replied, a short smile flitting across his face. Bill looked a bit crestfallen, and turned slowly away from him with the obvious intention of leaving.

"Actually, Bill, why don't you sit down?" Bill turned back toward him, but didn't sit.

"Congratulations on making Captain," Lee started, moving tentatively towards him. "I'm sorry that I couldn't make it. You understand that I was wrapped up in that Ainsworth case and-"

"Thank you." Bill cut him off, impersonally. Lee crossed his arms over his chest, and tried another tactic.

"How's your mother?"

That didn't phase his son either. "Getting married." he replied, frankly. Lee smiled slightly at this. Gianne deserved it, deserved someone who could love her unconditionally in a way that he couldn't.

"Good. She deserves it." he said, echoing his thoughts.

"Yeah. She does." Bill frowned at him, turned, and walked out. Letting out a loud exhale, Lee waited in the room for several beats before exiting it himself.

.

.

.

The seats were not necessarily comfortable, but it didn't bother her. Not with this magnificent view. Laura rested her chin in her palm and smiled as she looked out of the large window.

"Hey." Billy greeted her, sitting down in the seat next to hers. Laura looked at him with a smile.

"Hi. Is Mister Adama almost here?" Billy nodded in confirmation, and gave her a sly smile.

"Enjoying the view?" he asked, innocently, as if unaware of the vipers floating nearly out of sight. "I'm sure that Captain Adama is."

Laura nudged him with her elbow. "As a matter of fact, I am enjoying the view. But Captain Adama has nothing to do with it." she asserted. Billy rolled his eyes.

"Oh really? If you say so." his tone was so painfully obnoxious that she had to laugh. He began to laugh with her, which fueled her fit until they were interrupted by someone tapping on a microphone. Laura looked up to see that it was Aaron Doral, again.

"Excuse me, everyone, excuse me. The ceremony will begin in a few minutes. Until then, everyone please take your seats and quiet down. Thank you." the PR man walked off of the podium, and took his seat. Laura could not help but feel that once again, there was something strange about him. She couldn't put her finger on it, but there was something. In the midst of her musings, Doral shifted his sharp gaze over to her. He narrowed his eyes at her, and she looked away quickly, her heart beating a rapid tattoo against her ribcage. She took a few deep breaths in and out, and spared another glance his way. Commander Thrace had just entered the room, and Secretary Adama was not far behind her. Doral was focusing on Mister Adama now.

_Thank the Gods for that._

Laura resumed her deep breathing, attempting to calm herself down completely. Yes, there was definitely something strange about Doral. She looked over to Billy, to see if he had witnessed their exchange. He seemed completely oblivious, smiling concernedly at her when he saw the look on her face.

"What's wrong?" he asked, turning more fully towards her. She gave him a small smile, and shook her head.

"I'll tell you later." she said, motioning towards the podium. A small priestess was making her way to the microphone. The off-white and deep green of her intricately decorated outfit was a stark and beautiful contrast to the dark expanse of space behind her. The priestess smiled, looked around the room slowly, and began to lead the assembled peoples in a prayer that was followed by a salute to the hoisted Colonial flags by the military officials present. After a few moments, the flags were ceremoniously taken down in the way of a traditional decomissioning. After this was complete, she smiled again at the crowd, and returned to her seat. Doral rose from his chair then, and moved to the podium.

"I'd like to thank you all again for being here today," he started, and turned slightly towards the priestess. "and Elosha, thank you very much for those wonderful words. Next is a ceremonial fly-by by the last Galactica battle squadron led by Captains Bill Adama and Kacey Thrace."

The ships flew close to the ship, practically brushing the window. A soaring score of music accompanied it, and Laura found herself grinning like a mad fool and clapping like one as well. Billy shot her another knowing look, and Laura gave him one of annoyance. After the applause died down, Doral spoke up again.

"And now it is my great pleasure to introduce the last commander of the Battlestar_Galactica_, Commander Thrace."

As the guests clapped politely, the Commander moved slowly up to the podium. Laura shifted slightly in her seat as the older woman pulled her notes from her pocket and laid them out on the desk in front of her. She cleared her throat, and began to speak.

"The Cylon War is long over, and it is hard to remember the countless thousands who gave their lives to end it. But despite the pain of loss, we must remember the reason why they are no longer with us: humanity let its judgement get clouded," she paused as her voice broke. Laura's eyes shot over to Secretary Adama, who looked as though he was attempting to keep himself from losing control of his emotions. "by pride, and sloth. We stepped into the role of the Gods, and created life. When it turned on us, we did not accept the consequences of our pride as we should have. We told ourselves that it wasn't our fault, but the truth is, you can't play god and wash your hands of the things you've created. Sooner or later..." she trailed off again, glancing at the Secretary momentarily. "you can't hide from the things you've done anymore."

For a moment, the room was silent. Then, a single pair of hands began to clap. Secretary Adama's. Billy followed him, then Laura herself. Soon, the entire room was applauding. The Commander did not smile or bask in the praise, but rather, she quietly exited the room, a hand over her mouth.

.

.

.

When Kacey climbed out of her cockpit, the Secretary of the Department of Justice was waiting for her. At first, she blinked a few times to make sure that she wasn't going insane. Secretary Adama was waiting for her? She was even more confused when he smiled at her as she stood frozen halfway out of her viper.

"Secretary Adama, sir." she finally regained the power of speech, and movement as well. She saluted him, and finished her descent, walking up to him slowly. He seemed unsure of what to say for a moment, his eyes wide and blinking rapidly. He apparently recovered, and began to speak.

"Captain Thrace, a pleasure. Do you have a moment?" he gestured vaguely a corner of the hangar bay, and Kacey arched an eyebrow at him. What the hell was this about?

"Yes, sir. Just give me a sec." she replied, handing one of the deckhands her helmet before signing the post-flight checklist. After giving her viper an aberrantly quick once-over, Kacey turned to Secretary Adama and nodded at him. The Secretary smiled, and motioned for her to follow him. Tentatively, she walked after him, noticing the stiff way in which he carried himself and the way his hands seemed to clench and unclench ever few seconds. Once they were a safe distance from the deck crew, he turned to her, letting out a deep breath.

"Captain Thrace... Kacey..." he corrected himself, and then cleared his throat. Gods, he was really nervous. He seemed to be struggling to force his words out now that they were alone.

"I just wanted to tell you..." he paused, let out a breath. "that that was some of the finest flying I have seen in a while."

Kacey could tell that he had been meaning to say something else. She held her reply for a moment to give him a chance to say it, but this only served to make him more nervous. She smiled slightly, and nodded in thanks.

"Thank you, sir. Was that all?"

He hesitated a moment before replying "Yes." with a sense of attempted finality. The Secretary then smiled, nodded, and walked away. Kacey remained for a few beats, before shaking her head and leaving as well.


End file.
